Entering the House of Wisdom
The Big Picture
The House of Wisdom – The Age of Translation – Euclid and Archimedes – Plato and Aristotle – Arab Advances in Algebra, Optics and Medicine
Chess was introduced to the Arab world with Caliph Omar’s invasion of Persia in 638 CE. It rapidly spread through the Arabian Peninsula, Middle East, and Northern Africa, eventually reaching Spain. Its use of engraved pieces sparked contentious debate amongst Islamic Jurists as to whether or not its play violated the Koran’s prohibition on idolatry. Ultimately it found justification as a military exercise, though it’s play was ubiquitous simply for intellectual and entertainment purposes. During the reign of the Abassid Caliphs the game, as well as Islamic culture as a whole, experienced a golden age.
It was under the Abassids, in Baghdad’s House of Wisdom, that Islamic scholars preserved and built upon the works of Pythagoras, Plato, Euclid, Galen, Ptolemy, Charaka, and Brahmagupta amongst many others. They composed epic works of literature such as the Book of One Thousand and One nights, devised the formalization of Algebra (Which comes from the Arabic al-jabr meaning reuniting broken parts, as in bonesetting) and the Algorithm (named for the scholar Musa al-Khwarizimi), as well as made tremendous advances in Medicine, Astronomy and the Physical sciences. It should come as no surprise that these erudite rulers were enthusiastic patrons of the game of chess.
Harun al-Rashid was the first Abassid Caliph we know of who played chess, and is genreally credited with bringing the caliphate to the height of its power. He seems to have exemplified chess’ military application to good effect. Famously, the Byzantine Empreror Nicopheros who sent the following letter to Harun, “The Empress, Irene, who I have succeeded looked upon you as a Rook and herself as a Pawn therefore she submitted to pay you a tribute double of what she should have exacted from you…” Nicopheros continues in this regard to demand the return the total amount of tribute paid, as well as future tribute from Harun. Harun, in the fashion of a chess player responded “you shall see rather than hear my reply,” he proceeded to invade Nicopherus’ lands and forced him to continue paying the tribute.
Harun’s eldest son and successor al-Amin was also an avid chess player. There is a famous anecdote about him deeply engrossed in a game with one of his advisors, Kauthar, during the siege of Baghdad. As enemy forces advanced on the city one of his messengers arrived to warn him of peril, “O Commander of the faithful this is not the time to play, pray arise and attend to matters of more serious movement.” To this the Caliph calmly replied, “Patience my friend, I see that in a few moves I shall give Kauthar checkmate.”
“The Empress to whom I have succeeded estimated you as of the rank of the Rook, and estimated herself as of the rank of the Pawn, and paid a tribute to you, which you rightly should have paid to her… When therefore you have read my letter, return the tribute that has been previously paid to you, and come yourself with what you have to repay. If not, the sword is between us and you.” When al-Rashid read this his wrath was kindled he wrote, ” To Nicepheros, dog of Byzantium. The answer is what you will see, not what you will here.”
The Astapada is based of the Vastu Purusha Mandala
“Stop! As-Suli’s skill at chess charms me more than these flowers.”
Al-Amin was known to have brought the best players from all over the world to his court in Baghdad where he would either play against them himself or simply enjoy watching their matches with one another; giving rise to the first professional class of chess players. Perhaps he was too fond of the game, for while he may have defeated Kauthar, he ended up being deposed by his brother Al-Mamun.
Al-Mamun was also a fan of the game, although a seemingly less competent player. It is recorded that he once lamented, “Strange that I who rule the world from the Indus in the East to Andalus in the West cannot manage 32 chessmen in a space of two cubits by two.” He continued to play as his advisors reminded him that it was good training for his mind. Once when playing against an opponent whom he suspected of making careless moves so as to purposely lose, in great anger, he knocked all the pieces off of the board and exclaimed, “You want to treat me as a child and to practice on my understanding? Bear witness to the vow which I now make, I will never play chess with this person again.”
Harun’s third son Al-Mu’tasim was also a chess player as well as scholar of the game, we still have two chess problems composed by him on record today. Chess continued to thrive during the Abbasid Caliphate as is evidenced by a quote we have from the later Caliph ar-Radi who once when walking through the gardens at one of his country estates asked his courtiers if they had ever seen anything so beautiful, when they began to extol the beauty of the place as one of the wonders of the world, the Caliph cried, “Stop! As-Suli’s skill at chess charms me more than these flowers.”
The chess player whom the Caliph ar-Radi made reference to in the above passage is Abu Bakr bin Yahya As-Suli. A descendent, of a Turkish prince As-Suli gained prominence as the foremost player of his time when he beat the then leading player, al-Mawardi, at the court of the Caliph Al-Muktafi. As-Suli was famous throughout the Arab world not only as the unchallenged champion of his time, but also for the unprecedented ability to play the game blindfolded against several opponents simultaneously! He was also a prolific authority on the game, we still have remnants of his writings which include the first formalizations of systematic opening principles, analysis of positions from his games, as well as some chess problems composed by him. The Chess Historian HJR Murray credits him as, “…the first player to try to discover the science of the game, or to enunciate the underlying principle of play.” To this day in the Arab world amongst the highest compliments given to a player is that he, “plays as as-Suli.”
The House of Wisdom
he scholars in Baghdad’s House of Wisdom compiled the knowledge of the known world, leading to the age of translation, where significantly, the works of the greek philosophers and mathematicians were preserved, studied and expanded upon. Scholars made major advances in mathematics, medicine, astronomy and optics that would lay the foundation for the breakthroughs in modern science.
The House of Wisdom
The Translation Movement
“The Translation Movement was an ambitious, international enterprise sustained by the Abbasid Caliphate over two centuries with one goal: collecting all of the world’s knowledge and books from previous civilizations and bringing it under one roof and one language.”
Euclid and Archimedes
Euclid and Archmedes are two foundational figures in developing geometry and its applications in the physical world. Explore their contributions, and rework some of Euclid’s proofs in this section.
Plato and Aristotle
Plato and Aristotle are two of the most influential figures in Western philosophy. In this sectionwe will explore their contribution is cosmology,
Abassid Innovations
In the House of Wisdom Arab scholars not only translated bbut built on the works of the Greeks, Indians and persians. Scholars like al-Khwarizimi layed the foundations of modern algebra, Avicenna made advances in medicine and al-Kindi revived the field of optics.
Optics
Mathematics
